THE BOLLOX
Man City ace eyes new England pairing to replace Chelsea & Man Utd men
Joleon Lescott wants himself and Everton’s Phil Jagielka to form England’s new first-choice centre-back partnership after the end of the John Terry-Rio Ferdinand era.
Lescott and Jagielka played together at youth level with England and then at Everton before the former made the move to Manchester City.
Lescott has become a first-choice player under head coach Roy Hodgson, starting eight of his 11 matches in charge, and was an ever present at Euro 2012.
Jagielka also now appears to be moving up the pecking order and the pair have been chosen by Hodgson for England’s two most testing World Cup qualifiers to date against Ukraine and Poland.
When asked if himself and Jagielka can become the new centre-half pair, Lescott said: “We’d like to believe so. Obviously Gary Cahill has played a number of games and is out here [in Poland].
“Ryan Bertrand is also a quality player. But, if the manager believes myself and Jags can make the positions ours, then great and hopefully we can do that.
“We grew up together. We played from England Under-18s, then at Everton, and it is a level of trust.”
Jagielka said: “I’ve known Joleon for a long time and we’ve played together on a few occasions for Everton and England.
“If our partnership is the reason that I get in with England alongside him, then I’ll be ecstatic.”
Mattia Perin: On-loan Pescara goalkeeper has been watched by AC Milan and Manchester City
Mattia Perin's agent claims Manchester City are among the clubs monitoring the progress of the on-loan Pescara goalkeeper.
The 19-year-old, who was included in the Italy squad for the friendly against England in August, is spending the season on loan at Pescara from Genoa.
He has impressed for promoted Pescara and his performances have prompted speculation that Premier League champions City and AC Milan are weighing up bids
However, Perin's representative Matteo Roggi has shrugged off the rumours and says the keeper is in no rush to make a decision on his long-term future.
"Are AC Milan interested in him?" Roggi told tuttomercatoweb.com. "They are not the only club which follows Mattia because there are not many 19-year-old goalkeepers with his qualities.
"In the Premier League, for example, there is Manchester City, which has watched him carefully.
"The issue, however, is premature. At the end of the season he will return to Genoa, with whom he has a contract until 2015, and we will do the evaluations.
"Currently, the player is only thinking about playing, it's not the time to think about the future."
Vincent Kompany: Content with Manchester City's start to the season
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is happy with his team's start but there is much more to come from the Premier League champions.
City may be third in the table when the Premier League resumes after the international break, but are yet to reproduce the form shown during their title-winning campaign.
An impressive 3-0 win over Sunderland last time out suggested that their best football could be isn't far away and the skipper is content with their form.
"We are exactly where we wanted to be, second or third place and there are still a lot of games to play. We are just getting through them," said the Belgium international.
"There will be moments where we will really switch it on.
"It's already positive for us to pick up so many points when people say maybe we didn't play our best games, but I think we have to be happy with the results.
"If we can still step it up, it's going to be a great season for us again."
Kompany's fitness has been an issue in the early part of the season as he has struggled with a calf injury and his form appeared to drop below the high standards of last season.
But the 26-year-old, who was on target for his country in a 2-0 win against Scotland on Tuesday, feels expectations were a little high.
"I just look at the league now and we are in a good position. We have done what we needed to do and we have managed to keep ourselves at the right place."
Kompany added: "I've always been good. It's just that we set such a ridiculously high standard last season that people are expecting a lot.
"That's fair enough, I've got no problem with that. I just keep working hard. I never really change my vision of the game, I always try to give my best.
"I just look at the league now and we are in a good position. We've done what we needed to do and we've managed to keep ourselves at the right place.
"Chelsea are obviously doing great at the moment. We never said it wasn't going to be a tough season."
City travel to the Hawthorns on Saturday to take on Steve Clarke's in-form West Brom side.
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T-SHIRT BOLLOX
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he disagrees with Reading striker Jason Roberts's decision not to wear a Kick It Out T-shirt. Roberts said he will not wear the T-shirt in protest at what he perceives to be the campaign group's lack of action in combating racism in football.
"I think everyone should be united, I don't know what point he's trying to make," said Ferguson.
"He really should be supporting all the other players who are doing it."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger added: "If they [black players] do not join in that makes the campaign not credible."
Anti-discrimination campaign group Kick It Out's annual week of action started on Thursday and players have traditionally worn shirts promoting it.
But Roberts, referring to incidents involving John Terry and Luis Suarez, told BBC Sport: "I won't wear one.
"I find it hard to wear a T-shirt after what has happened in the last year."
This should be amusing as Camelface has just said he'll do the same thing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20003368
Manchester United are interested in re-signing centre-back Ryan Shawcross, but will face competition from Chelsea and Tottenham. The 25-year-old began his career at Old Trafford before making the permanent switch to Stoke in 2008. skysports.com
Juventus hope to beat Arsenal to the signature of Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente by offering the 27-year-old a deal which would make him the highest paid player at the Serie A leaders. DSSC
Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, 24, is an £8m summer transfer target for Italian Serie A side Fiorentina. Daily Star
Liverpool hope to take advantage of the breakdown in contract negotiations between Birmingham City and 18-year-old winger Nathan Redmond. The England youth international has a year-and-a-half left on his current deal and has grown frustrated with the Championship side's failure to offer him terms. Daily Telegraph
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers expects to be able to reinforce his attacking options in the January transfer window after being left with just one recognised striker, in Luis Suarez, at the club for the next three months. The Times
Everton manager David Moyes is yet to decide whether to offer a permanent deal to midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, 30, who has impressed on trial. Moyes is also yet to make a decision on whether to extend 18-year-old midfielder Ross Barkley's loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday. Liverpool Echo
Norwich manager Chris Hughton wants to sign 26-year-old Stoke striker Cameron Jerome. Daily Mirror
Centre-back Michael Dawson, 28, believes he still has a future at Tottenham despite the fact manager Andre Villas-Boas tried to sell him in the summer. talkSHIT
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has seven centre-backs on his shortlist ahead of the January transfer window. First choice pair Steven Taylor, 26, and Fabricio Coloccini, 30, have both suffered injuries this season. Evening Chronicle
Andrija Milutinovic, the Serbia coach who allegedly headbutted England Under-21 goalkeeping coach Martin Thomas during their Euro 2013 qualifier in Krusevac, is facing a life ban from football. The Times
Stuart Pearce and Roy Hodgson will go head-to-head next summer for Jack Wilshere, 20, and 19-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. England Under-21 manager Pearce wants the duo to play in the Euro U21 2013 finals while England boss Hodgson has a mini-tour of South America in June with games against Uruguay and Brazil. Daily Express
Defender John Terry, 31, has been told he will be sold by Chelsea if he is ever found guilty of racial abuse again. The former England skipper was given the news at a board meeting following his decision not to appeal against the Football Association's four-match ban for using racist language. DSSC
Meanwhile, Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, 33, and his 27-year-old brother Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers have told friends they will refuse to wear Kick It Out T-shirts, believing that the organisation has failed to force the FA to step up its punishment for racist acts. Daily Mirror
Liverpool could be without goalkeeper Pepe Reina for Saturday's game against Reading after the 30-year-old picked up a hamstring strain on international duty with Spain. The Independent
Harry Redknapp, 65, will only return to management if he gets a chance to lead another top club. "It would have to be something I'd really want to do," he said. "I wouldn't just dive in and take any job for the sake of it." Evening Standard
Injured Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker, 32, could be sidelined until Christmas as he is struggling to recover from Achilles surgery. Guardian
Former Real Madrid and Barcelona manager Raddy Antic, 63, is a shock contender to become the new Blackburn manager. Antic, who spent four years playing for Luton in the early 1980s, last managed his national team, Serbia. Sun
Former Chelsea and Germany midfielder Michael Ballack, 36, has been arrested in Spain after being caught speeding at 211 km/h (131mph) in a 120 km/h (75 mph) zone. El Mundo Deportivo
Tsanko Tsvetanov, 42, has been sacked as manager by Bulgarian top flight club Etar Veliko Tarnovo for the third time this season. Metro
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